A water company is urging residents to swap paddling pools for water blasters to help ease the strain on water supplies during the current heatwave. South East Water has asked customers to use pressure washers or toy water guns instead of paddling pools to reduce high demand.
Hundreds of properties in Kent and Sussex have experienced water supply interruptions. Areas affected include Ashford, Maidstone, Cranbrook, Battle, and Hurstpierpoint. Nearly 800 properties in three Kent villages faced several days of disruptions over the bank holiday weekend.
The company is calling on residents to use water for essential purposes only, such as drinking, washing, and cooking, as water stores are low and demand is outstripping treatment and pumping capacity. A spokesperson said: 'We're sorry to customers experiencing water supply issues. Exceptionally high temperatures have created very high demand for tap water supplies.'
South East Water compared the water network to a motorway, noting that when everyone uses it at once, pressure drops. The company also reported some leaks and bursts on the network, which it is working to fix as quickly as possible.
Earlier this month, South East Water's chief executive David Hinton resigned, following the chair's departure amid criticism over significant supply outages. Under government reforms, water companies will be required to conduct mandatory infrastructure inspections.
